European countries should step up efforts to combat bird flu threats amid an “unprecedented” number of outbreaks this autumn, health authorities have warned.
Avian influenza is exploding among wild birds and poultry farms. Since September, more than 1,400 infections have been detected in at least 26 European countries, four times higher than a year ago and the highest level since 2016.
That raises the risk that the virus could spill over into people, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
The virus has been spreading at higher levels worldwide in recent years, and has occasionally jumped from birds into mammals, including foxes, mink, and cats.
Widespread circulation among birds makes it more likely that the virus will eventually reach humans, which virologists say could pose a pandemic threat.
“Although the current risk for the European people is low, avian influenza is still a serious public health threat due to widespread outbreaks among animals across Europe,” Edoardo Colzani, ECDC’s respiratory viruses chief, said in a statement.
The agency’s recommendations include boosting viral surveillance and laboratory testing, ensuring protective gear is available for people at higher risk – such as poultry farm workers – and clear communication with the public.
The agency also called for “close collaboration” between veterinary, agriculture, and public health authorities.
“We need to make sure that early warning signs don’t go unnoticed and that public health actions are timely, coordinated, and effective,” Colzani said.
Many bird flu infections this autumn were found among waterfowl, including in birds that appeared healthy, according to the European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA). Most were caused by a new variant of the virus that has been spreading “rapidly” in Europe.
Earlier this year,European health and food safety officials warned that avian influenza viruses could mutate to the point where they could infect people more easily.
